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Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro
(1992-2003) (2003-2006) |allegiance= |branch= |type= Air Force and Air Defense |size= about 16,000 personnel 450 aircraft total |command_structure= Military of Serbia and Montenegro |garrison= Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro |garrison_label=Air Force HQ |patron=Saint Elijah |colors= Azure |colors_label=Colors |battles= Operation Allied Force |decorations= |battle_honors= |current_commander= |current_commander_label= Commander of JRV i PVO |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= Roundel |identification_symbol_2= |identification_symbol_2_label=Fin |aircraft_attack= J-22, G-4, Mi-24, SA.342 GAMA |aircraft_fighter= MiG-29, MiG-21Bis |aircraft_interceptor= MiG-21Bis |aircraft_recon= MiG-21M, MiG-21R, IJ-22, INJ-22, SA.341 HERA |aircraft_trainer= Utva 75, G-4, NJ-22 |aircraft_transport=An-2, An-26, YAK-40, Mi-8 }} The Air Force of Serbia and Montenegro (Serbian: Ратно Ваздухопловство Србије и Црне Горе, РВСиЦГ; Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo Srbije i Crne Gore, RVSiCG), also named Air Force of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Југословенско Ратно Ваздухопловство, ЈРВ; Jugoslovensko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo, JRV) in the 1992-2003 period, was the air force of the former Serbia and Montenegro. It had around 300 fighter aircraft, ground attack aircraft, and other aircraft. The air force, in 1998, had about 16,000 personnel. The air force was disbanded when Montenegro voted to secede from the FRY in 2006. The bulk of it was inherited by the Serbian Air Force. History Creation and consolidation Reorganization Operation Allied Force Around 50 Yugoslav aircraft were lost during the Kosovo War when NATO air forces attacked FRY in 1999. Six MiG-29s were destroyed in dogfights against F-15s, F-16s or F-18. Other MiG-29s were destroyed on the ground when NATO attacked Batajnica Airfield. Heroes of the War The commander-in-chief of the Air Force said that Air Force and Air Defense had 40 killed and 110 wounded soldiers in combat. Air Force and Air Defense members fought bravely and used innovative tactics to counter technologically more advanced and numerically superior opponents. AF & AD C-in-C Lieutenant General Spasoje Smiljanic was promoted to the rank of Colonel General and awarded Medal of War Flag - First Degree. Deputy of C-in-C Supreme Command Headquarters for the AF Colonel General Ljubisa Velickovic was awarded the Medal of War Flag - First Degree. General Velickovic was killed in combat. Knights in combat The first Yugoslav planes in the air were the Knights of the 127th LAE (127th Fighter Squadron) with their MiG-29s (they are the only unit operating them). Based on publicly released data one could conclude that three MiGs were scrambled from Batajnica Air Base with Lieutenant Colonel Ljubiša Kulačin, Major Nebojša Nikolić and Major Milorad Milutinović in the cockpits and two (Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Ilić, Major Iljo Arizanov) from Niš Airport. Since Germany had the same type of MiG-29 for a decade, NATO was expected to be successful in jamming radar and communication with GC center. Bearing that in mind and the fact that great numbers of enemy aircraft were in the air backed by four AWACS planes, Yugoslav pilots applied new tactics. They abandoned the usual leader-wingman formations and used fast solo dashes near ground to stay out of sight and then, when close enough to fire their R-73s (AA-11 Archer air-to-air missiles), engage in a vertical climb trying to get a firing solution with their KOLS laser - IR rangefinder/homing system. The following pilots were awarded Bravery Medals and promoted to higher ranks: * Major Nebojsa Nikolić * Major Slobodan Perić (killed in car accident 30 May 2010) * Major Predrag Milutinović * Major Iljo Arizanov * Captain, 1st class Zoran Radosavljević, killed in combat Other pilots that flew combat missions (based on data gathered so far): * Colonel General Ljubisa Velickovic * Colonel Milenko Pavlovic, commander of 204. Fighter Aviation Regiment, killed in combat * Lieutenant Colonel Ljubiša Kulačin * Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Ilić * Major Abdul Emeti * Major Bora Zoraja * Major Dragan Milenković List of awarded units 250. Rocket Brigade AD received the Order of the National Hero medal, the highest military medal for their exceptional service during the war. 126. VOJIN Brigade received the Order of the National Hero medal, the highest military medal for their exceptional service during the war. List of awarded members * Lieutenant Colonel Zivota Duric, Bravery Medal and promotion to higher rank. He was killed in combat when he tried to ram enemy aircraft with his badly damaged J-22 Orao. * Colonel Kis Bela, Bravery Medal * Colonel Ostojic Goran, Bravery Medal * Lieutenant Colonel Sreto Malinovic, Medal of Honor * Major Vukicevic Srđan, Bravery Medal * Major Milenkovic Sava, Bravery Medal * Major Nikcevic Rade, Bravery Medal * Major Milovanovic Aleksa and Captain, 1st class Jovanovic Srđan got Distinguished Service Medal's for rescuing downed pilot under enemy fire * Captain, 1st class Abrt Emilijan, Bravery Medal * Captain, 1st class Mrvljevic Nebojsa, Bravery Medal * Captain Bulatovic Nenad, Bravery Medal * Captain Spasic Nenad, Bravery Medal * Senior Sergeant, 1st class Vukovic Dragan, Bravery Medal * Sergeant, 1st class Aksic Milos, Bravery Medal * Sergeant, 1st class Komazec Zdravko, Bravery Medal * Sergeant, 1st class Djurcic Dragan, Bravery Medal List of FRY destroyed aircraft Organization Structure 1992-1994 *'Air Force and Air Defense Command' ***333rd Engineering Battalion ***322nd Signal Battalion ***138th Transport Aviation Brigade ***280th Center for Electronic Reconnaissance and Jamming ***Flight Test Center **'Aviation Corps' ***83rd Aviation Brigade ***172nd Aviation Brigade ***204th Aviation Brigade ***98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment ***97th Helicopter Regiment ***119th Helicopter Regiment **'Air Defense Corps' ***210th Signal Battalion ***126th Air Surveillance/Intelligence and Guidance Brigade ***250th Air Defense Missile Brigade ***450th Air Defense Missile Brigade ***60th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***230th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***240th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***310th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***311th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment 1994-1996 *'Air Force and Air Defense Command' ***138th Transport Aviation Brigade ***280th Center for Electronic Reconnaissance and Jamming ***Flight Test Center **'Aviation Corps' ***333rd Engineering Battalion ***172nd Aviation Brigade ***98th Aviation Brigade ***119th Helicopter Regiment **'Air Defense Corps' ***359th Engineering Battalion ***210th Signal Battalion ***83rd Fighter Aviation Regiment ***204th Fighter Aviation Regiment ***126th Air Surveillance/Intelligence and Guidance Brigade ***250th Air Defense Missile Brigade ***450th Air Defense Missile Regiment ***60th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***230th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***240th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***310th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***311th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment 1996-1999 *'Air Force and Air Defense Command' **** 353rd Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron "Sokolovi" **** 677th Transport Aviation Squadron "Rode" **** 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Pegazi" *** 280th Center for Electronic Reconnaissance and Jamming *** Flight Test Center ** Aviation Corps ***333rd Engineering Battalion *** 172nd Aviation Brigade *** 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment *** 119th Helicopter Brigade ** Air Defense Corps *** 359th Engineering Battalion *** 210th Signal Battalion *** 83rd Fighter Aviation Regiment *** 204th Fighter Aviation Regiment *** 126th Air Surveillance/Intelligence and Guidance Brigade *** 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade *** 450th Air Defense Missile Regiment *** 60th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 230th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 240th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 310th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment ***311th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment 1999-2002 *'Air Force and Air Defense Command' **** 353rd Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron "Sokolovi" **** 677th Transport Aviation Squadron "Rode" **** 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Pegazi" *** 280th Center for Electronic Reconnaissance and Jamming *** Flight Test Center ** Aviation Corps ***333rd Engineering Battalion *** 172nd Aviation Brigade *** 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment *** 119th Helicopter Brigade ** Air Defense Corps *** 359th Engineering Battalion *** 210th Signal Battalion *** 204th Fighter Aviation Regiment *** 126th Air Surveillance/Intelligence and Guidance Brigade *** 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade *** 450th Air Defense Missile Regiment *** 60th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 230th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 240th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 310th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment 2002-2006 *'Air Force and Air Defense Command' **** 353rd Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron "Sokolovi" **** 677th Transport Aviation Squadron "Rode" **** 890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Pegazi" *** 280th Center for Electronic Reconnaissance and Jamming *** Flight Test Center ** Aviation Corps ***333rd Engineering Battalion *** 172nd Aviation Brigade *** 98th Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment *** 119th Helicopter Brigade ** Air Defense Corps *** 359th Engineering Battalion *** 210th Signal Battalion *** 204th Fighter Aviation Regiment *** 126th Air Surveillance/Intelligence and Guidance Brigade *** 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade *** 230th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 240th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment *** 310th Air Defense Self-Propelled Missile Regiment Branches and services Ranks of the RV i PVO SRJ/SCG References Category:Military units and formations established in 1992 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 2006 Category:Military of Serbia and Montenegro Category:Disbanded air forces